Civil Society Organizations Advocate for Increased Nutrition Financing to Address Malnutrition Challenges
Inadequate funding for nutrition leads to malnutrition, higher healthcare costs, and reduced productivity in the country, writes Fegson Phabuli.
Salima, Malawi-Insufficient funding for nutrition has been identified as a major factor contributing to malnutrition, increased healthcare costs, and decreased productivity in the country, according to the Civil Society Organizations Nutrition Alliance (CSONA), writes Fegson Phabuli.
On Friday, CSONA engaged heads of various departments at Salima district council to disseminate the findings of the 2023–2024 budget analysis and advocate for increased funding for nutrition in the district.
The budget analysis presented by CSONA revealed that only 1.5 percent of the entire district council budget is allocated to nutrition interventions, amounting to K23 million for the year across sectors including agriculture, health, gender, and social welfare.
Bessie Ndovi, National Coordinator for CSONA, stressed the importance of acknowledging nutrition as a driver for achieving Malawi's development goals, emphasizing the need for increased resources.
She stated, "We urge the government to provide more resources to tackle nutrition issues, as the current 1.5 percent is on the lower side."
Eric Kenamu, Director of Planning and Development (DPD) for Salima, assured the implementation of an inclusive nutrition plan that will identify priority areas for investment and outline strategies for improving nutrition outcomes.
He also mentioned that Salima is expected to receive approximately K6.8 million from the government, which will contribute to supporting nutrition activities in the district.
CSONA recommends that each sector commit to investing in nutrition financing to benefit the district's and the nation's socioeconomic development.
Attendees at the meeting included the Salima District Health Officer and the heads of the departments of education, gender, and social welfare.
Malawi faces alarming statistics related to malnutrition, with 32% of mortality rates attributed to malnutrition and 23% of deaths among children under five caused by the same issue.